Box-making machines



Oct. 23, 1962 J. w. EASTER "ET AL 3,059,552

BOX-MAKING MACHINES 4 Sheets-She at .1

Filed March 6, 1961 1962 J. w. EASTER EI'AL 3,059,552

BOX-MAKING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1961 Oct. 23, 1962 J. w. EASTER ETAI. 3,059,552

BOXMAKING MACHINES Filed March 6, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 23, 1962 J. w. EASTER ETAL 3,059,552

BOX-MAKING MACHINES Filed March 6, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3,059,552 BOX-MAKENG MAEHWES John William Easter, Cheadle Hudme, and Peter John Higham, Bramhall, England, assignors to Henry imon Limited, Stockport, England, a British company Filed Mar. 6, 1% Ser. No. 93,468 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 10, 1960 12 Claims. (Cl. 93-58.2)

This invention relates to machines for making boxes and the like from corrugated cardboard, hereinafter referred to as board, and particularly to the machine units which receive prepared blanks of board (which may previously have been subjected to a printing process), and apply thereto processes of slotting and creasing at those positions of the blanks where bends, corners, or folds will be formed during subsequent shaping processes, such machine units usually being known as slotter-creasers.

In the type of slotter-creaser to which this invention applies, the process of cutting a slot is performed by passing a board blank between a pair of intermeshing rotary knives which are mounted on parallel contrarotating shafts whose axes are parallel to the surface of the board and at right-angles to the direction in which it is moving. Similarly, a crease is made when the board blank is passed through the nip between a pair of interrelated rolls which are also mounted on similar parallel contra-rotating shafts whose axes are also at right angles to the blank travel direction, a pair of creasing rolls usually being in in-line relationship with a pair of slotting knives. The simultaneous forming of a plurality of slots and/or creases is usually provided for by arranging for the mounting of an equal number of pairs of knife or crease roll elements on the associated parallel contra-rotating shafts. To provide that the several knife or crease roll elements on each of the shafts can be set to the correct spacing relationship with one another, the said elements, which are rotationally locked to the shafts by keys, are axially moveable thereon but can be rigidly clamped thereto when in a desired position. When adjusting the knife elements, it is usual practice to rotate the associated shafts until the knives are intermeshed, before moving the intermeshed pair of elements axially along their associated shafts, such practice ensuring that the knives are retained in accurate alignment with one another. The crease-forming roll of a pair of creasing rolls is coupled by a yoke member to an adjacent associated knife element in such a way as to ensure that axial movement of one element is dependent on equivalent movement of the other. In such cases, when the knives of the knife elements are intermeshed, three of the members which must be in alignment during operation of the machine are also kept in alignment during axial adjustment on the associated shafts.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved slotter-creaser wherein all members of an associated set of knife and crease roll elements can, from a remote position, be simultaneously adjusted along the axes of their respective shafts.

According to the invention, a slotter-creaser having at least one pair of slotting knife elements adjustable trans versely to the direction of cut, at least one associated pair of creasing roll elements adjustable transversely to l the direction of creasing arranged in in-line relationship with the knife elements, and a yoke member engaging one of the knife elements of a pair and one of the associated creasing roll elements, is characterized in that the or each yoke member makes engagement with each of its engaged elements through the intermediary of antifriction bearings arranged to support the load imposed by the weight of the yoke and the loads arising from transnla versely adjusting movements of the engaged elements, such yoke member also having an extensible guide member which in its extended condition engages and holds in accurate alignment the associated creasing roll element that is not embraced by the said yoke, and each yoke member having driving means whereby it can be caused to move in a direction parallel to the transverse direction, and control elements which in addition to causing the driving means to become operative also automatically ensure that the knife and creasing elements cannot move transversely except when the yoke driving means is operative.

In such a slotter-creaser the extensible guide member which forms part of the yoke may comprise a plunger supported in a housing extension of the yoke body in such a manner that when moving to engage its associated crease roll the plunger follows a path which is substantially radial thereto, the engaging end of the plunger being so shaped that when it is in the extended position the engaged members are axially locked together, and the end of the plunger remote from the engaging end being linked to the moving element of an electromagnetic or pressure-operable thrust generator by which it can be caused to extend or withdraw in accordance with a predetermined cycle of control operations.

Also in such a slotter-creaser the yoke member driving means may comprise a screwed nut element which is mounted in the yoke in such a manner that it is axially trapped but freely rotatable about the axis of its screwed bore, the screw thread in the bore being in permanent engagement with the continuous lead-screw thread of a screwed shaft which is reversibly rotatable in journal bearings carried by the supporting framework, such screwed shaft being parallel to the contra-rotating shafts of the knife and creasing elements and common to the driving means of all yoke members of the slot-ter-creaser. The screwed nut has part of its peripheral surface slotted axially to provide a continuous series of circumferential dogs, which, can be engaged by a meshing dog at the end of a radially disposed plunger housed in the yoke body and arranged to be actuated by the moving element of an electromagnetic or pressure-operable thrust generator in accordance with a predetermined cycle of control operat-ions, to cause the screwed nut to be rotationally locked in the yoke member so that the thrust of the lead-screw of the rotating screwed shaft impels the yoke and its engaged associated knife and crease roll elements in a direction parallel to the axes of the contra-rotating shafts.

Also in such 'a slotter-creaser, the means whereby the knife and crease roll elements are prevented from moving axially except when the yoke driving means is operative may comprise apparatus for locking a yoke member in a desired position, and integral members of any of the contra-rotating shafts by which all yoked or associated knife or. crease roll elements carried thereon can be axially locked thereto, the former Consisting of a cam unit which is pivotally carried from an extension of the yoke member in such a way that its peripheral cam surface can by movement of a lever extension therefrom, be brought into locking association with a cross-bar member (common to all yoke members of the machine) which is carried by the supporting frame so as to lie parallel to the contra-rotating shafts. The lever extension of the cam unit is linked to the moving element of an electromagnetic or pressure-operable thrust generator in such a manner that movements thereof in accordance with a predetermined cycle of control operations cause the cam surface to move from the locked position to the free position when the yoke member'is being moved, and returned to the locked position when movement has been completed. The means for axially locking the knife Or roll elements on a shaft may comprise a radially movable but axially restrained key which is seated on an inflatable flexibly walled hose-like member resting along the bottom of an axial groove of the associated shaft in such a manner that When the hose-like member is inflated the key is forced radially outwards and into locking association with resilient seatings forming parts of the inner surfaces of the yoked or associated knife or crease roll elements carried by the said shaft, the hose-like member being connected with a source of pressure through the intermediary of a control valve which, in accordance with a predetermined cycle of control operations is arranged to maintain the hose-like members in an inflated condition except when'the yoke member is being moved.

Also in such a slotter-creaser, the remotely operated control elements which govern the movements of a yoke member and its associated set of knife and creasing roll elements may employ electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic means or combinations of such means to perform automatically a cycle of operations initiated by manual operation of a remotely sited control element, the operations of the cycle being performed substantially in the following sequence, (a) the actuation of a motor starter to release the brake of the screwed shaft driving motor and start the motor so that the shaft rotates in a desired direction and, simultaneously, the actuation of the thrust generator which causes the extension of the creasing roll guide member of th'e selected yoke and, also simultaneously, the actuation of the thrust generator and control valves which cause the release of the locking members which prevent axial movement of the selected yoke member and its associated knife and creasing roll elements, then, (b), by means which are automatically brought into operation at the conclusion of the operations of (a), the actuation of the thrust generator which causes the rotational locking of the screwed nut in the selected yoke member so that the thrust of the lead-screw of the screwed shaft causes the yoke and its associated elements to move along the shaft, then, when the moving yoke member has reached a desired position, the manual or automatic restoration of the remote control element to its normal condition, causing the motor to be stopped and its brake applied and at the same time causing the actuated thrust generators and control valves to be operated in the reverse sense so thatthe creasing roll guide is withdrawn and all locking elements are brought into engagement.

Also in such a slotter-creasen'the or each yoke member which is arranged to move and maintain the alignment of all members of an associated set of rotating knife and creasing roll elements may have an anchorage extension to which are fixed such associated non-rotating auxiliary components 'as must be maintained in relative alignment with the associated pair of knife elements, eIg. a board stripper for disengaging a slotted board from a knife blade, or a locator for an axially movable board feeding roller.

Referring to the accompanying-drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the general arrangement of one embodiment of the invention. I

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing one yoke assembly.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line AA of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line B B of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a section through the lower slotter shaft.

FIGURE 6 is 'a circuit diagram of the electric and pneumatic control arrangements. 7

In a preferred embodiment, a slotter-creaser unit, which rnay form part of a larger machine for performing a plurality of the operations of making a box from a prepared board blank, has a supporting framework consisting of a pair of parallel side frames 1 which are spaced apart by horizontal cross members 2, certain of which may be used as guide members to support the board blanks in a horizontal plane as they move through the machine during processing. The side frames also carry the journal bearings for three pairs of parallel contra-rotating shafts 3, 4, '5, 6, 7, 8 which are arranged so that one shaft of each pair is below the plane of the board, the other of each pair being above the plane of the board and substantially vertically in line with its lower counterpart, arrangements being provided whereby the lower roll of each pair can be adjusted relative to its counterpart to accommodate any of a variety of thicknesses of board. The centre pair of shafts 5, 6 is for the purpose of causing co-axial roller surfaces 9, 10 to rotate so that they will receive a board that has been partly processed by the knife elements 11, 12 of the outer pair of shafts 7, 8 and feed it to the creasing roll elements 13, 14 of the other pair of shafts 3, 4. Immediately above this centre pair of shafts 5, 6 and lying on the horizontal centre-line which passes through the axes of the upper shafts 3, 7 of the two outer pairs, is a shaft 15 whose circumferential surface carries a continuous lead-screw, this shaft being parallel to the contra-rotating shafts and rotatably journalled in bearings carried by the machine side frames. This screwed shaft 15 is driven by a reversible motor 56 having an electromagnetically disengageable brake '57, both motor and brake coil being energised by operation of a remotely controlled motor starter 58. Directly above the screwed shaft 15 there is a cross bar member 16 which is parallel to the shafts and rigidly fixed to the side frames, the surface of this crossbar being arranged so that it forms a suitable anchorage to which members that are transversely movable relative to the planes of the side frames can be locked.

Each shaft 7, 8 of the contra-rotating pair adjacent to the intake part of the machine unit carries one element of a pair (or similar elements of each pair) of intermeshing rotating knife slotting elements 11, 12 which are keyed to (by keys l7, 18) but axially movable on their respective shafts. Similarly, each of the other outer pair of contra-rotating shafts 3, 4- carries one element of a pair (or similar elements of each pair) of creasing roll elements 13, 14 which are keyed to (by keys 19, 2h) but axially movable on their respective shafts, the said creasing roll elements 13, '14 being in fin-line relationship with associated knife elements 11, 12 of the pair of shafts 7, 8 each upper element 11, 13 of each pair of associated elements being; furnished with co-axial seatings 21, 22 for the inner races of a pair of deep-groove ball bearings '23, 24- whose outer races 25, 26 are trapped in a yoke member 27 which embraces both upper elements in a manner which ensures that they are maintained in accurate alignment at all times, the said ball bearings providing antifriction supports for both the radial load imposed by the weight of the yoke member and the axial load arising from.movement of the elements along their respective shafts, and the yoke member being arranged so that both the screwed shaft 15 and the crossbar member 16 pass transversely therethrough.

That part of the yoke member 27 which embraces an upper creasing roll element 13 is extended to form a housing 28 to support a plunger 29 in such a manner that when the plunger 29. is moved to engage the lower associated creasing roll element 14 it follows a path which is substantially radial thereto, the engaging end of the plunger 29 being so shaped that when it is in its fully extended position the engaged members are locked in alignment, the cndof the plunger 29 remote from the engaging end being linked to the piston of a pressure-operable thrust generator '30 by which it can be caused to withdraw or extend as determined by the activiation of. a remotely controlled electromagnetically operated two-wayair valve 31 which causes compressed air from a pressure source to be admitted to one or other side of the said piston.

engagement with the lead-screw of the shaft 15, the said nut 32 being rotatably supported within the body of the yoke member 27 by deep-groove journal ballraces 33, by which it is also trapped axially, the arrangement being such that unless the nut is prevented from turning it will rotate idly in thread-locked engagement with the screwed shaft 15. A part 34- of that section of the peripheral surface of the nut 32 which lies between the journal bearings 33 is slotted axially to provide a continuous series of circumferential dogs 35 which, when engaged by a meshing dog 36 at the end of a radially disposed plunger =37 housed in the yoke body, cause the nut 32 to be locked rotationally so that the axial thrust of the lead-screw 15 is transmitted by the nut 32 through its bearings 33 to the yoke member body 27, causing it, with its engaged associated elements, to be moved along the shafts. The end of the plunger 37 remote from the meshing dog is linked to the piston of a pressure-operable thrust generator 38 by which the plunger 37 can be caused to eflect meshing engagement or withdraw therefrom as determined by the operation of a mechanically actuated two-way air-valve 39 which causes compressed air from a pressure source to be admitted to one or other side of the said piston, the operating mechanism of the said air-valve 39 being so arranged that the plunger 37 cannot be moved to an engaging position until the yoke member 27 and its associated elements are free to be moved.

Adjacent to, and above the position where the crossbar member 16 passes transversely through the yoke member 27, there is an upward extension of the yoke body which is slotted at 40 across its centre part at right angles to the crossbar in such a way as to provide access to the top face of a continuous hardened steel strip 41 which is fitted into a slot running the full length of the crossbar. Pivotally mounted in the yoke body slot is a lever member 42 which at one end has a cam surface 43 arranged so that as the lever is moved pivotally, the cam surface is brought into, or out of, locking association with the top face of the strip 41 in the crossbar. The end of the lever 42 remote from the cam surface 43 is linked to the piston of a pressure-operable thrust generator 44 arranged to move the lever about its pivot when compressed air from a pressure source is admitted to one or other side of the piston by the same remotely controlled electromagnetically operated two-way air valve 31 as also supplies the thrust generator 36 which motivates the creasing roll element aligning plunger 29, the actions of the two thrust generators 30, 44 being so related that the cam surface 43 is in locking engagement at all times when the creasing roll element aligning plunger 29 is not in engagement. Supported from the cam-operating thrustgenerator 44 is the mechanically actuated two-way air valve 39 which controls the locking plunger 37 for the screwed nut 32 which drives the yoke member 27. This air valve 39 is actuated by an adjustable extension 45 of the linkage which moves the pivoting lever 42, arrangements being made to ensure that the valve actuating parts cannot become eifective until the cam surface 43 of the pivoting lever 42 is fully disengaged.

Each of the two lower element carrying shafts 4-, 8 is grooved along its full length to carry a radially movable key 46 which is seated on an inflatable flexibly Walled hose-like member 47 resting along the bottom of the groove. The key 46 is prevented from moving axially by a locating pin 48 which engages a slot therein, and the hose-like member 47 is sealed at one end and connected at the other end by suitable air channels 49, and a coaxial gland member 50 to a remotely controlled electromagnetically operated two-way air valve 59 arranged either to permit compressed air from a non-return valve associated with a pressure source to be admitted to the inflatable members 47 of both shafts, or to allow the pressure within the said member to be dissipated. The inner surface of each of the elements 114, 12 carried by the said shafts 4-, 8 has, at a position in radial association with the said key 46, an axial groove 51 in which a' resilient pad 52 is mounted in such a manner that when the hose-like member 47 in a shaft is inflated, the key 46 moves outwardly to make locking engagement with the resilient pad 52 in each of the associated elements 14, 12. The actuating connections between the remote control member and the air valve 59' are so arranged that the valve is caused to deflate the inflatable members 47 at the same time as the yoke member locking cam 43 is disengaged.

Immediately beneath the part of the yoke member 27 which houses the screwed nut 32 there is an extension 53 carrying a mounting surface to which the stripper plate 54 that operates in conjunction with the associated knife element 11 is fixed in such a 'way that it remains in its correctly aligned position at all times. Mounted from the said stripper plate 54- is a locating fin 55 which is in permanent engagement with a circumferential groove of the axially movable roller element 9 mounted on the upper shaft 5 of the pair of central feed roll shafts, the said locating fin 55 being provided to ensure that the feed roll 9 which it engages will at all times remain in alignment with the associated knife element '11.

The control arrangements are shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 6. The three-phase reversible motor 56 for driving the screwed shaft 15 incorporates an electromagnetic brake solenoid 57 for releasing the brake while the motor is energised, the brake being applied by springs as soon as the solenoid 5'7 and the motor windings are de-energised to bring the motor to rest. The motor 56 is supplied with current from terminals 60 through a starter 58. Terminals 61 supply current for control purposes.

On each yoke is mounted a hand-operated two way switch '62 having live terminals L1, L2, which when the switch is operated are connected to a terminal A1 or a terminal A2 which are connected to the started 58 to start the motor 56 in one direction or the other, and to a terminal B1 or B2, connected to a control relay 63 having two pairs of normally open contacts, of which one pair when closed energises a solenoid 64 operating the air valve 59 in such a manner as to cause the inflatable members 47 to be deflated when the motor 56 is energised. The other pair of contacts of the relay 63 when closed energise a solenoid 72 operating the air valve 31, whereby when the motor 56' is energised, air is supplied to a pneumatic cylinder 30 operating the creasing roll element aligning plunger 29, and to the cylinder 44 for disengaging the cam surface 43 and operating the air valve 39 controlling the cylinder 38 operating the plunger 37 to lock the nut 32 against rotation in the yoke member 27. Air is supplied through a pipe 65 which is extended to supply further yoke assemblies, as are the control current supply line 66, 67. The conductor 68 leads to further relays 63, and the conductors 69, 70, 71 lead to switches 62 on other yoke members.

In certain circumstances auxiliary control elements may be incorporated to cause the control switch to be automatically restored to its central Off position when the yoke member has moved to a required position.

What we claim is:

1. A slotter-creaser for cutting slots and forming creases in cardboard blanks for making boxes and the like, having at least one pair of slotting knife elements adjustable transversely to the direction of cut, at least one associated pair of creasing roll elements adjustable transversely to the direction of creasing arranged in inline relationship with the knife elements, a yoke member engaging one of the knife elements of a pair and one of the associated creasing roll elements, anti-friction bearings arranged to support the load imposed by the weight of the yoke and the loads arising from transversely adjusting movements of the engaged elements, through which the yoke member makes engagement with each of its engaged elements, an extensible guide member on theyoke member which in its extended condition engages and holds in accurate alignment the associated creasing roll element that is not embraced by the said yoke, a lead screw common to all the yoke members whereby they can be caused to move in a direction parallel to the transverse direction, a reversible motor for driving the lead screw, independent coupling means for selectively coupling any yoke to the lead screw, and means for ensuring that the knife and creasing elements cannot move transversely except when the appropriate yoke is coupled to the lead screw.

2. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 1 in which the extensible guide member comprises a plunger slidable in the yoke body in a direction substantially radial to the associated crease roll element, the end of the plunger remote from the engaging end being coupled to a thrust generator.

t 3. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 1, in which the yoke member moving means comprises a screwed nut mounted and axially trapped in the yoke and capable of being rotationally locked therein, a screwed shaft threaded into the nut and rotatable in stationary bearings and disposed parallel to the shafts of the knife and creasing roll elements and a reversible motor for driving the shaft.

4. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 3, in which the screwed nut has its peripheral surface slotted axially and a plunger is mounted radially in the yoke and arranged to be displaced to enage the slots and rotationally lock the nut in the yoke.

5. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 4, in which an electrically controlled thrust generator is provided for displacing the plunger.

g 6. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 1, in which there is a cross bar member parallel to the machine an electrically controlled thrust generator for moving.

the cam unit to and from the engaged position.

v 8. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 1 having means,

for locking a knife roll element on its shaft, comprising a key radially movable in a slot in the shaft, an inflatable hose-like member on which the key rests, .and a resilient seating in the knife or roll element, adapted to be engaged by the key when forced radially outward by inflation of the hose-like member.

9. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 8, and having an electrically operated control valve for admitting pressure fluid to the hose-like members, or releasing fluid therefrom.

' 10. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 1, and having electrical control means comprising a two-way control switch whereby when the switch is closed, the lead screw driving motor is energised to drive the yoke in one or other direction, a solenoid is energised to operate fluid valves controlling a thrust generator for extending the guide member in the yoke to engage the associated creasing roll element and a thrust generator for releasing means for locking the yoke against transverse movement, and a solenoid is energised to operate a fluid valve for releasing means for locking knife and creasing roll elements against transverse movement.

11. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 3, comprising a control switch having an off position, and two on positions, a motor starter which is energised to cause the reversible motor to run in one or other direction when the switch is moved to one or other of its on positions, a solenoid energised in each of the on positions of the switch to operate fluid valves controlling the thrust generator for extending the guide member in the yoke to engage the associated creasing roll element, and to operate fluid valves controlling the thrust generator for moving the cam unit on the yoke out of engagement with the crossbar member, this thrust generator operating a further fluid valve controlling the thrust generator operating the member for rotationally locking the screwed nut in the yoke, a second solenoid energised in each of the on positions of the switch for actuating the control valve for releasing pressure fluid from the inflatable members locking the knife and crease roll elements to their shafts.

12. A slotter-creaser as claimed in claim 1, in which each yoke member has an anchorage extension supporting a stripper plate for stripping slotted board from the knife element and a locating fin engaging a feed roller element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

